X’s Grok AI Misidentified A Hunger Games Scene For Aftersun, And The Internet Is Having A Field Day

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in Mockingjay- Part 2 in a side-by-side photo with Paul Mescal from Aftersun.
(Image credit: Lionsgate/A24)

AI has been showing off its scarily realistic talents lately, like an AI-generated video reimagining of The Last of Us and if the Harry Potter cast were Disney characters. At the same time, we need to remember that AI isn’t perfect and does make mistakes. For instance, X’s AI system Grok misidentified a Hunger Games scene for Aftersun, and the internet is having a field day.

Grok is normally a very smart AI system where you can perform DeepSearch research, create files, projects, and more. On the other hand, AI isn’t perfect and can make mistakes like providing inaccurate information, misunderstanding a prompt, or misinterpreting content. @JibblePuss decided to test Grok’s intelligence by asking it what the following GIF is and see if you can guess:

If you guessed The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2, you’d be correct. The GIF refers to the end of the dystopian movie when Finnick becomes the unfortunate casualty of President Snow’s mutts. It’s a character death I’m still not over, as the District Four victor ensured his friends made it up the ladder to safety before he did. @grok, however, has its own interpretation of the scene, and it kinda makes me laugh:

The clip is from the 2022 movie Aftersun, directed by Charlotte Wells. It stars Paul Mescal as a father reflecting on life during a holiday with his daughter.

Buzz, wrong! While Sam Claflin does bear a bit of a resemblance to Paul Mescal, that’s definitely not the same movie. It's like oil and water. @T_MoneyReviews made sure to clarify to the AI system the correct answer:

Grok, buddy. That’s the hunger games mockingjay part two.

Correct! However, Grok responded by saying that the X user is wrong and that Mockingjay- Part 2 is a Jennifer Lawrence movie. While the Oscar winner is the lead of the franchise’s conclusion, The Hunger Games has an ensemble cast of other talent worthy of recognition. @DeaditeBoi seemed just as confused by Grok’s answer as all of us:

Aint this fuckin Hunger Games 3 lmao

Yes, it is. Unfortunately, Grok still wasn’t convinced and still believed it was Aftersun. Other responses that Elon Musk’s AI system sent to X users were that it interpreted the GIF as Aftersun’s deep ending, where Paul Mescal’s Calum dances to “Under Pressure.” The AI system is really confusing a death scene with a dance? Now, that’s messed up. The indie film’s studio, @A24, had something blunt to say about Grok’s answer:

Open the schools

A24 has a point. It looks like Grok needs a little cinema history lesson. I’m just loving how while X users are clearly enjoying arguing with the AI system, Grok keeps debating back its stance that the GIF is Aftersun. It refuses to give up! While the AI has been known to mistake a movie or TV series for another, it’s amazing how viral this thread is going. @rob_keyes decided to have a little fun with this:

I'm pretty sure that's Shrek, btw.

How dare you compare Finnick’s death scene to Shrek! But, at least Grok knew it wasn’t from the beloved animated movie. However…is still defended its interpretation that the GIF is still 2022’s under-the-radar movie. What a stubborn AI bot Grok can be.

It’s hilarious how much fun the internet looked to be having arguing with Grok about a Hunger Games scene not being Aftersun. You’d think, after a while, that the AI bot would admit defeat and own up to its mistake. But, this X thread proves that even artificial intelligence still has a lot to learn that humans easily notice.

See if you can tell the difference between the two movies by watching Mockingjay- Part 2 and Aftersun on your HBO Max subscription.

Carly Levy
Entertainment Writer

Just your average South Floridian cinephile who believes the pen is mightier than the sword.

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